Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | Smart Trap |
Christian Morales Jonathan Drougas Xiaowei Yuan |
Bonhyun Ku | design_document1.pdf design_document2.pdf final_paper1.pdf presentation1.pdf proposal1.pdf |
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| # Problem: Pests like raccoons and foxes have been a problem plaguing home owners since the dawn of time. While there already exist traps on the market like this one listed on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Havahart-1-Door-Raccoons-Groundhogs-Opossums/dp/B00004RAMT/) which incorporates a pressure plate and the use of bait to lure the creatures and trap them, there is the problem of ensuring the trap captures the right animal. Say you set up this trap to capture raccoons and a rabbit were to instead set off the trap, you would have to release the rabbit, rearm the trap, and finally hope that the trap captures the raccoon this time. A traditional trap of this sort may also undesirably capture pets. # Solution Overview: Our solution is to incorporate existing technology to set off these traps only for the targeted creature. This would be done by designing an addon for existing pressure plate traps which would monitor whether the creature in the trap is the targeted creature, and set the trap if it is. The addon will use a camera to monitor the creature in the cage, machine learning algorithms for processing the video, a tool battery like the one used for power drills, and some sort of motor or pin to prevent the pressure plate from activating. #Solution Components: ## Subsystem 1: Power Management The power management system is responsible for distributing power to the camera, the signal processing module, the trap defeat mechanism, and the animal detector. DC-DC conversion will also need to be handled in this subsystem. The input will be 18-20VDC from a tool battery (major brands like Dewalt/Milwaukee/Ryobi). Our needs are not yet certain, but it seems reasonable that 5V will suffice. The power management subsystem will also take input from the animal detector and switch the camera and signal processing module. This approach will help extend battery life because the trap only monitors when necessary. ## Subsystem 2: Camera The camera is responsible for obtaining images of the interior of the trap. The frame rate will be chosen to be as low as possible while still being able to trap the animal in order to save on cost and energy. Some testing and research must be done to see how animals behave in such a trap. ## Subsystem 3: Signal Processing Module This subsystem will monitor the camera’s output and run the algorithm which identifies the target animal. The output is boolean. The signal processing module should be switched off whenever possible to conserve energy. ## Subsystem 4: Trap Defeat Mechanism The trap defeat mechanism is responsible for physically disabling the trap when the wrong animal is inside. We have several ideas for how this could be implemented. Our choice will be determined by what draws the least power at idle. Some ideas include using either a servo or a solenoid to actuate a pin which blocks the pressure plate from lowering (similar to a deadbolt lock). Depending on the construction of the trap, it may be easier to prevent the door from closing. The right approach will need to be chosen such that the trap does not need to be manually reset if the incorrect animal enters. ## Subsystem 5: Animal Detector The animal detector is used to merely sense whether an animal is present in the trap or not. Implementing this sensing system will allow for power conservation, as the camera and signal processing elements may be left off when an animal is not in the trap. # Criterion for Success: Our trap must be able to distinguish between a rabbit or a raccoon and set the trap accordingly. Raccoons should be trapped while rabbits should run free. The addons should not harm the targeted creature in any way, and should trigger in a timely manner. The mechanism should attach to an existing pressure plate styled wire mesh trap. The addon should incorporate battery saving options to extend the battery life to about two days minimum. # Additional Features: After the basic detection functionality is achieved, the design can be expanded to start identifying more animals. Training data can be improved to obtain a better success rate for the trap. Battery life can be extended through further optimization like incorporating solar cells to draw energy during the day. Furthermore, the mechanism could be miniaturized and packaged in such a way that it could be easily mounted and moved between existing traps. This way, a prospective consumer would not have to buy a whole new trap to use this technology. Finding a way to conserve the bait in the trap so that a different animal like a rabbit won’t be able to eat all the bait. Finally, the trap should be weather resistant and weather should not affect the trap's efficiency. |
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